Full colour Amazon Kindle Touch eBook reader coming 2012

Amazon is to launch a full-colour version of its touchscreen Kindle eBook reader later this year. E Ink, the electronic paper display manufacturer, says it has received orders from the retail giant to supply 6-inch full-colour, touch-enabled reader modules, to begin shipping in March.

The Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News reports that E Ink will be expected to ship more than three million of the displays a month. At present, though, there is no news on possible launch dates for the new device, only that Amazon has placed the order itself.

There have been rumours for some time that Amazon could be preparing to upgrade its Kindle eBook reader line-up with a full-colour screen, with previous thoughts being that it would opt for Qualcomm's Mirasol screen technology. It now appears that E Ink has won the contract instead.

Amazon already has one colour device on the market, the Kindle Fire, but that is an Android tablet with a glass screen and is, therefore, not as readable in direct sunlight as its current Kindle eBook readers. The new device will be a bridge solution between them.

We are still awaiting news on a release date for the Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch devices in the UK.